Taste of L.A. = Taste of the good life.

Once upon a time, way back in the early 80s, Taste of Chicago transformed the concept of the street fair into a citywide celebration of ethnic diversity and iconic restaurants that defined the many neighborhoods making up the city. The annual event, staged around July 4th  weekend, not only set attendance records but also created a new way for people to “explore” a city in a very concentrated, sensory way.

The concept, metaphorically speaking, went over like hot cakes and was adopted by cities across North America and the world. Flash forward to 2013. 2,000 miles from where it all began (according to legend), many food festivals roll out the red carpets and the white table cloths for celebrity chefs, mixologists and ethnic food innovators in ways that can only exist in L.A....and Hollywood, for that matter.

Take THE TASTE of L.A., which marries the magic of the Hollywood movie and television studio with a variety of foodie fantasies.  As awesome as Chicago's Grant Park is, you just can't do cool themes like that without the themed streets and buildings at the chefs' and restaurateurs' disposal. This is what we call "Production Value," and the star chefs and restaurateurs have it in spades at centrally-located Paramount Studios.

Once again, THE TASTE will be whetting appetites on an epic scale this Labor Day weekend (August 30-September 1), to make everybody's foodie dreams come true, thanks to special four-hour sessions with different focuses (Field to Fork, Flavors of L.A., and Cocktail Confidential, for example).

 A-List chefs and the elite of food journalists and editors meeting their public will include Jonathan Gold, Russ Parsons (L.A. Times Food Editor), and Michael Cimarusti (Chef/Owner of Providence, Chef/Partner of Connie and Ted’s; Sat., Ari Taymor (Alma), Sherry Yard (Helms Bakery), Ray Garcia (FIG), Gary Menes (Le Comptoir), Craig Thornton (Wolvesmouth) and Nguyen Tran (Starry Kitchen). Cooking demos from Yoon, Brooke Williamson (Hudson House/The Tripel), Bryant Ng (Spice Table), Josef Centeno (Baco Mercat/Bar Ama)

Participating restaurants include Bibigo, Canelé, DOMA, Farmshop, good girl dinette, Hamasuku, Michael’s on Naples, Momed, Mr Chow, Muddy Leek, Nobu, Pizza Antica, RivaBella, Sun Café Organic, The Curious Palate. 800˚ Degrees, Angelini Osteria, Border Grill, Bulgarini Gelato, Chakra Indian Cuisine, Chichén Itzá, City Tavern, Mayura, Meals by Genet, Pinches Tacos, Wood & Vine, BOA Steakhouse, Brite Spot, Café Gratitude, Coni’Seafood, Freddy Smalls: Bar & Kitchen, Got Kosher?, Haven Gastropub, Juan’s Restaurante, Kings Row Gastropub, Pizzeria il Fico, Pono Burger, Rosebud Cakes, Waffles de Liege and many more.

At long last, everybody can try out one or more of "that hot new restaurant" they've read about or saw on television...and in a spot where some of the best television is made.

Los Angeles Times THE TASTE is produced in association with Best Events. Sponsors include Cadillac, Icelandic Glacial, Stella Artois, Svedka and Sysco. Tickets start at $65.. The schedule of events, complete list of participating restaurants and tickets are available at latimes.com/thetaste. Connect with THE TASTE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ TheTasteLA (#TasteLA).

Photos courtesy of Taste of L.A.